We were ready to leave our campsite this a.m. when my husband wrenched his back and could hardly move. We could not stay in that site so I had to get us moved. For the first time ever, I could not unhook the services and hook up the TV by myself. I had to ask for help. I was able to get it set-up at another site but left it hitched to the truck. We will stay for a few days until he is feeling better. This was a real eye-opener for me. I am wondering if we need to start looking for a rig with more electronic assistance (levelers, awning)or should go back to a Class B. We like the size and flexibility of our small (22') TT but I camped in our B by myself with no problem. What do others do? lizzie

lizzie
if you don't Have them
think about an electric (12v) TT jack
and a hitch camera on the truck
this will make raising the TT for hitching easy
and the camera will let you see the coupler, so you can back right under the coupler

I'm moving to a "B" from a TT for similar reasons. I can hitch/unhitch, but the driving to the storage area/picking up/hitching/driving to RV park or boondock site/unhitching, then reversing the process. With limited time off (weekends mainly), my trailer tends to sit idle other than a festival for the first quarter of the year.

A smaller rig means you can park it at the house... hop in, you are camping.

If you don't want to spend the big bucks for a "B", I'd highly recommend a short class "C" that gets leveled by a mash of a button.

All the power stuff that people are talking about is fine and dandy, but first you need to learn what to do.
To that end, Make Lists.

Make an arrival and set up list.
Make a hitch up and departure list.

As you have already figured out, there is nothing required that you can't do. If there is something that requires more strength than you have, then figure out how to cheat. Unless you are boondocking (really boondocking) all alone, there will always be some man that you can impose on to do that. (Just be sure you meet the wife first.) If you want to add a power tongue jack, that is fine, just be sure that you know how to make it work when the power goes down. All of that fancy stuff breaks down at the worst time.

Electronic levels, they are fine but know how to do without them.

Recently, I had the unfortunate opportunity to teach a widow friend how to deal with all the parts of her (once their) old coach (TT). She had never done any of the stuff that routinely needs to happen. We made lists. She drove all the way to our back lot and set up and hooked up for the night and after breakfast, she worked her way through the departure and drove the rig home. And, she took it someplace almost every weekend the rest of the season.

You can do it - too.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie
A sailor, his bride and their black dogs going to see some dry places that have Geocaches in a coach made the year we married.

I think the answer depends on why you had to ask for help, which is sorta unclear in your opener. If it was only because the rig is new to you and you aren't quite confident in your understanding of how things work, that just takes time to overcome.

But if you found things to be beyond your actual strength, then my advice would be, yes, get things set up with whatever mechanical assists you think would substitute for extra hands etc.

" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies toJ.R.R. Tolkien

First - Wishing your husband a good recovery - I had a couple of incapacitating back pain episodes about ten years ago, once while traveling alone outside the US on business and another while chartering a sailboat in the Caribbean, so I'm really sympathetic. Never comes at a good time.

One reason a B was attractive to me (of many) was - we both could easily drive it. You already know how fast an simple the set-up and departure is. If switching back to a B = a better comfort level = more trips, I'd say keep the B on the short list.

But if you found things to be beyond your actual strength, then my advice would be, yes, get things set up with whatever mechanical assists you think would substitute for extra hands etc.

Agree. It's unclear WHY you couldn't hook/unhook. If it's physical, what Francesca has said is great advice. If it's lack of familiarity, then just practice. I hooked/unhooked our toad a bazillion times on our street, as did my son, just to get used to it. I used to love to hook up our 5er because I was better at engaging the hitch pin in one shot than hubby was. I learned how to drive our Endura (35 footer) the true trial by fire method. We got it one week before we were leaving on vacation and the tires needed to be balanced. There's one specialty shop in my area in the CITY of Lowell. Hubby couldn't get time off from work, so two days after he drove it home I drove it into Lowell to get the tires balanced. Lost all my fears at that point.